The award-winning book “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard will be the topic of the Adult Book Discussion on Tuesday, July 23, 7:00 p.m., at the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, 201 N. Mulberry Street, Mount Vernon.
James Abram Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman.
Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back.
But the shot didn’t kill Garfield. The drama of what happened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in turmoil. Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive, ”The Destiny of the Republic” will stand alongside “The Devil in the White City” and “The Professor and the Madman” as a classic of narrative history.
The program is free and open to the public. Guest and history buff Mickey Shire will lead the discussion. Refreshments will be served. Participants will be eligible to enter a door prize sponsored by the Friends of the Library.
For more information, call the main library at 740-392-2665 (BOOK), visit www.knox.net, or email LPM@knox.net.